Sales and marketing and the butcher’s apostrophe

It is always dangerous to write about grammar, spelling and punctuation. We all make the occasional mistake. In writing a blog post like this we’re all allowed the odd contraction (see?) to be more conversational than we might be in a professional article.

In our marketing and advertising copy we really have to look professional. That involves not making dreadful errors that others will pick up on, and think us unprofessional. The “butcher’s apostrophe” is a real clanger.

In our Tesco Extra yesterday I sauntered past the section where they have on display computers and accessories. Tesco sell everything these days, of course. There were a couple of large signs upon which were written “Laptop’s and Notebook’s”.

Oh dear! Had no one checked these notices before they went out, or is there no one who knows any better? It doesn’t look good from Tesco with such amateur mistakes.

Yet recently I saw similar mistakes on the website of a firm of accountants. We do need to keep our marketing copy looking professional. If we are not confident in getting it right there are plenty of good professional copywriters and editors to help us.

There is no excuse for making ghastly errors in the place where our prospects’ eyes will come to rest first when seeking us out.